Elegant building near the Canal du Midi

(NB: The content of this hub is restricted to some historical perspectives of this building. Readers wishing for information about the services of this hotel should direct their enquiries to its management.)

The HôtelTerminus — in full, Hôtel du Soleil le Terminus — has for more than a century stood at a prime location in southern France's city of Carcassonne. Its proximity to the city's railroad station — a fine, 19th century structure which I have elsewhere described — is maybe implied by the Hotel's name.

Executed in Belle Epoque style by Architect Belin, the building's main frontage on Avenue du Maréchal-Joffre. includes features such as ornate window framing and wrought balcony ironwork. There is a combination or square and rounded window shapes; rounded crafting extends to the pillared corner of the building at Avenue du Maréchal-Joffre and Boulevard Omer-Sarraut.

There is thus about the HôtelTerminus something of the grace of a period, rapidly coming to a close even as the Hotel first opened, which was characterized by a sense of refinement and optimism, redolent of an almost carefree aura shortly before the cataclysmic outbreak of World War One.

The immediate locality of the Hôtel includes a section of the historic Canal du Midi; I have supplied (right) a view of the Canal demonstrating its proximity, in which the Hôtel Terminus is partially obscured by trees in the left background of the photo. Opposite the HôtelTerminus is also an area of greenery known as Jardin Chenier.

In Carcassonne itself, in addition to the citadel fortifications by Viollet-le-Duc, there are the Medieval Carcassonne Cathedral and the likewise Medieval Basilica of St. Nazaire and St. Celse.The HôtelTerminus is also situated conveniently for the Fine Art Museum (French: Musée des Beaux-Arts).

Toulouse (distance: 94 kilometres) ; has numerous, historic visitor attractions, including the the Capitole, and the Saint-Sernin Basilica.

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How to get there:United Airlines flies from New York Newark to Paris (Aéroport Paris-Charles de Gaulle ), where car rental is available; there are also domestic air services between Paris and Carcassonne airport (Aéroport de Carcassonne Salvaza ), where car rental is also available. The French railroad company SNCF maintains services from Paris to Carcassonne (Paris-Carcassonne: distance: 768 kilometres). Some facilities may be withdrawn, without notice. For up to date information, please check with the airline or your travel agent.

In the centre of the village, a stone monument bears a plaque inscribed: 'BERGHOLZ GERMAN LUTHERAN SETTLEMENT FOUNDED OCT. 12 1843'. And German Americans, mainly Lutheran, have been there ever since. The monument...